It is 2019 and we need to be more concerned about the environmental impacts of our diet as well as their impact on our own health – so here are 10 Simple Ways To Consume Less Meat and Dairy (and animal products in general).
There are many issues with cow’s milk and the industry which produces it so swapping out cows milk is one of the greatest changes you can make. The BBC published an article recently detailing the environmental impact of each kind of milk which can help people make more informed choices about their milk consumption. Try out the various types and see which one you prefer – I’ve tried soy, almond and oat; oat milk is easily the best for me and it contains so much fibre!
Brands such as Quorn exist for a reason. If you feel as though meat is essential to your diet or that certain meals are lacking without it then try a meat substitute like Quorn or Linda McCartney in order to replace it. However, meat substitutes are not essential to reducing your meat consumption.
I use the word ‘consume’ consciously, as we are all consumers of products that can have a damaging effect on our environment. Fur and leather are no exception. If you can, avoid buying genuine leather and fur products and instead purchase pleather and faux fur – even buying second hand is better than encouraging the demand for such products to increase.
If you think you cannot commit to not consuming meat altogether then just try and cut it out for a day a week or a few meals a week. Meatless Mondays are very common in most canteens and workplaces so it would not be difficult to just cut down for a day – even little changes can create big change, especially if everyone does it.
So much of what you already eat is dairy and meat free so what harm is it going to do to just eat more of that? Oreos, most pot noodles, skittles, bourneville and bisto – just to name a few. You would not be missing out on much by making a few simple changes and you would still get to eat some great snacks without consuming meat or dairy.
Whilst you can, of course, use alternative milk in your tea and coffee you may also want to consider drinking more herbal teas and black coffee’s so that you still get your caffeine but in a way that means consuming less dairy. I love peppermint tea and if I’m having coffee in a cafe I will almost always have it black.
Most restaurants will specify the dietary requirements on their menus but if not you can just ask servers what is meat and dairy free. Some places will even cater to this audience specifically or have separate menus that do not include meat and dairy.
Making a conscious effort to eat your recommended daily fruit and vegetables will actually result in you feeling less of a need to snack on dairy and meat products. Eating a balanced diet is essential in general and when you are doing this you should not be consuming copious amounts of meat and dairy anyway.
With pre-made food and meals, you cannot entirely guarantee a product will not contain meat or dairy but if you are cooking meals from scratch you are more than likely to know what is in them – thus avoiding accidental consumption of meat and dairy.
If you have incredible flavours coming from your selected spices then you are far less likely to miss the taste of meat. Substitutes like tofu have a bad name but it is all about the seasoning.
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